Reloading tool



April 1963 e. MITTELSTEADT 3,087,372

RELOADING TOOL Filed Aug. 9, 1961 IN VEN TOR.

GLEW L. MTTELSTEADT BY W5 ATTORNEYS Unite tates ate 3,087,372 RELOADING TOOL Glenn L. Mittelsteadt, Waseca, Minn assignor to Herters, Inc., Waseca, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Fiied Aug. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 130,368 5 Claims. (Cl. 8625) This invention relates to manually operable type ammunition reloading tools and more particularly to an ammunition reloading tool having an actuating handle readily interchangeable between two positions so that down ward movement of the handle when in one position effects upward thrust of the tool plunger, and upward movement of the handle when in the other position also causes upward thrust of the tool plunger.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel manually operable type, ammunition reloading tool, of simple and inexpensive construction, and having an actuating handle readily interchangeable between two positions so that downward movement of the handle while in one position effects upward thrust of the tool plunger, and upward movement of the handle when in the other position correspondingly causes upward thrust of the plunger.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel and improved shell sizing and reloading tool of the class described which through the use of the readily interchangeable handle permits the user to accomplish highly accurate reloading of various types and sizes of ammunition shells.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel and improved shell-sizing and reloading tool having an actuating handle readily interchangeable between two different positions of use, the interchangeability of the actuating handle permitting the reloading operation to be carried out in a highly efficient step by step procedure including shell-sizing, primer removal and replacement, and bullet seating.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective of my invention with certain parts thereof broken away for clarity; and

FIG. 2 is a side view on an enlarged scale of my invention partly in section and partly in elevation with certain parts thereof broken away for clarity.

Referring now to the drawings it will be seen that the reloading tool, designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10, illustrated therein, includes a support 11 constructed of rigid metallic material and including a horizontal flange plate 12. The horizontal mounting plate 12 is suitably apertured at 13 to permit mounting of the reloading tool upon a work bench or other types of board structure. It will also be seen that support 11 includes an upstanding flange 14 having integrally formed therewith an inclined reinforcing rib 15.

Integrally formed with the support 11 is a vertically disposed plunger guide member or housing 16. It will be seen that the plunger guide 16 extends downwardly beyond the horizontal mounting plate 12 and that depending wing flanges 17 extend between and integrally connect the guide member with the horizontal mounting plate 12. The plunger guide member includes a forward sleeve portion 18 having a substantially cylindrical bore 19 therein and also includes an upper channel portion 20, the latter defining an arcuate guide channel 21 which is coextensive with the bore 19. Thus the bore 19 and arcuate guide channel 21 define a continuous vertically disposed guide surface, the function of which will be disclosed herein below.

A conventional die holder 22 is integrally formed with the upper terminal portion of the channel portion 20' and is also integrally formed with the horizontal portion 15a of the reinforcing rib 15. The die holder 22 is provided with a threaded recess 23 which is disposed in coaxial relation with respect to bore 19 and is adapted to receive therein conventional die structures used in the reloading process. Generally speaking the dies utilized in the reloading process includes resizing dies, bullet seating dies and the conventional swaging dies.

The lower end of the guide member sleeve portion 18 is bifurcated to define a pair of depending ears 24, as best seen in FIG. 1. It will also be seen that the reloading tool 10 includes an elongate substantially cylindrically shaped plunger or ram 25 which is mounted for sliding movement in the plunger guide member 16. When the reloading tool 10 is mounted on a work bench or the like, the guide surface for the plunger 25 will be disposed in substantially vertical relation so that the plunger 25 is slidably reciprocable in an upward thrust direction and in a downward retractive direction with respect to the die holder 22. It will also be noted that plunger 25 has detachably secured to the upper terminal portion thereof a shell holder 26 of conventional construction and having an outwardly opening slot 27 formed therein. Although not shown in the drawing the shell holder 26 has a reduced threaded end portion which threadedly engages the tapped threaded upper end of the plunger 25 in a manner well known in the art. Thus the shell holder 26 may be readily removed from the upper end of the plunger 25 and replaced with other shell holders to accommodate different kinds and sizes of shells to be loaded. In this connection it is pointed out that the shell is moved in to the outwardly opening slot 27 and is retained in the shell holder 26 in upstanding relation thereto. The shell holder also has an opening extending therethrough which is in communicating relation with an elongate slot 28 formed in the plunger 25.

This slot 28 does not extend throughout the length of the plunger 25 and terminates somewhat short of the lower terminal end of the plunger. This slot 28 permits the removal of the spent primer of the shell and also is essential in the replacement operation of the primer. To this end it will be seen that the plunger guide 16 is provided with a pair of laterally projecting ears 29 to which a primer arm 30 is pivotally connected by means of a pivot pin 31. The primer arm includes an inwardly extending portion 32 having a primer rod 33 threadedly secured thereto. The primer rod is provided with a primer cup 34, the latter being urged upwardly by means of a primer rod spring 33a, as best seen in FIG. 1. Since this primer arm is of conventional construction, it is pointed out that the arm will be urged outwardly away from the plunger ram 25 by resilient spring means (not shown) and that when the plunger arm carrying the cartridge has been moved to its uppermost position the primer arm 36 may be moved inwardly so that the primer rod and primer cup are disposed within the elongate recess 28 of the plunger ram 25. The primer cup of course will have disposed therein the new primer so that subsequent downward movement of the plunger 25 will result in replacing the removed spent primer.

Means are provided for slidably reciprocating the plunger 25 and this means includes a toggle linkage 35, as best seen in FIG. 2. It will be seen that toggle linkage 35 includes a first elongate link 36 pivotally connected at one end to the lowermost end of the plunger 25 by means of a pivot pin 37. The other end of this first link 36 is pivotally connected to one end of a second toggle link 38 by means of a pivot pin 39. It Will be seen that the second toggle link 38 is bifurcated to define a pair of spaced apart ears 38a, the last mentioned end of the first link being disposed therebetween- It will be noted that the second toggle link 38 is of substantial rectanglar cross sectional configuration and is pivotally connected intermediate its end by means of a pivot pin 40, the latter extending between the depending ears 24 of the guide member 18. Thus it will be seen that the toggle link 38 is mounted for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal transverse axis. It will also be noted that pivoting of the toggle link 38 results in the force being transmitted through the toggle link 36 while ultimately reciprocating the plunger 25.

The toggle linkage 35 is provided with an actuating handle 41 to permit actuation thereof and this elongate actuating handle is constructed of a suitable metallic material and has a suitable hand grip cover 42 disposed around one end thereof. The actuating handle 41 is detachably connected to the second link 38 and is interchangeable between two positions of use. To this end it will be seen that the actuating handle 41 is provided with a reduced threaded male element 43 projecting longitudinally from one end thereof and it is threadedly engaged with a cooperating recess 44 formed in one end of the second link 38. The second link 38 is also provided with a tapped or threaded recess 45 formed intermediate to its end thereof, as best seen in FIG. 2, for also threadedly receiving the threaded male element 43 therein. It will be noted that the threaded recess 45 is disposed between a pivotal axis 40 and a pivot pin 39 while the handle actually constitutes an extension of the second link when in the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 land 2. It will, therefore, be seen that the cooperating male threaded element and recesses per unit ready detachment of the actuating handle 41 for subsequent attachment with the other of the cooperating recesses when it is so desirable to reposition the link.

The advantages and improved results obtainable through the use of my reloading tool having the readily interchangeable actuating handle will now be explained. During the reloading operation of, for example, a conventional rifle shell, the shell will be positioned within the shell holder 27. When a shell is so disposed within a shell holder, the face of the shell will be received within the slot with the open end of the shell being disposed upwardly. The conventional resizing die, including the complete decapping and expanding unit, will be mounted on the die holder 23 in a conventional manner. At the beginning of this operation, the plunger 25 will be disposed at its lowermost position and moved upwardly by the actuating handle 41 in a thrust direction towards the resizing die. When the shell is moved outwardly with the plunger 25, a decapping pin carried by the resizing die will be pushed against the spent primer thereby forcing out the primer. Simultaneously with this operation the neck portion of the shell case will be resized automatically by the expanding unit of the resizing die. Although the togg-le linkage permits a substantial mechanical advantage to be obtained during reciprocating movement of the plunger 25, the force necessary during the primer removal and shell resizing operation makes it desirable to obtain additional mechanical advantages if this is possible. The actuating handle 41 will, therefore, be disposed within the threaded recess 43 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that downward movement of the actuating handle causes upward movement of the plunger 25 in a thrust direction. It will be readily appreciated that the toggle link 38 along with the pivot pin 40* and actuating handle 41 actually defines a lever mechanism of the first class when in this position. Thus it will be seen that a substantial mechanical advantage is obtained through this arrangement. Accordingly, if this shell loading procedure includes the step of a swaging operation, the force necessary to carry out this operation is very substantial so it would, therefore, be desirable to dispose the handle in the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this connection it is pointed out that a swaging die may be readily mounted in the die holder 22 in the manner in which the resizing land bullet seating dies are mounted. Since the mounting of these dies andtheir particular construction is well known in the shell reloading process, it is pointed out that a detailed description of the construction or" these dies and the manner in which they are threadedly mounted within the die holder 22 is thought to be unnecessary for the instant application.

This neck recessing of the shell and removal of the spent primer may constitute one step in this shell loading openation when several shells are to be reloaded. It is, thereafter, necessary to replace the removed primer with the new primer. In this step of the operation, the primer is placed within the primer cup 34 and the primer arm is, thereafter, pivoted about its axis of pivot 31 until the primer rod and primer cup are disposed Within the slot 28 formed in the plunger 25. It is pointed out that the plunger 25 will be disposed in its uppermost position when the primer arm 30 is moved to be disposed within the primer cup within this elongate slot 28. Downward movement of the plunger 25 will cause the primer cup to abut against the bottom of the shell case while the primer rod or pin will be moved relative to the primer cup against the bias of the spring 33a thus driving the primer into seated relation within the shell primer pocket. When the plunger is pushed upward again the primer arm- Will be automatically swung outwardly by means of the spring (not shown) which normally biases the primer larrn. It has been found that during the replacement of the primer, a great deal of force is not necessary for effectively carrying out this operation. While on the other hand it has been found that the resistance transmitted through the plunger toggle linkage to the handle will be perceived by user during the primer replacement operation and that if too much pressure is exerted the replaced primer might be damaged. This damage is effected by excessive pressure exerted by the primer arm or pin. Therefore, experienced reloaders are able to perceive changes in resistance if the second link 38 functions as a lever of the third class. It is, therefore, desirable to have the male threaded member 43 of the actuating handle 41 disposed within the threaded recess 45 so that the actuating handle 41 is disposed substantially normal to the second link 38. When in this position the second link 38, pivot connection 40 and actuating handle 41 actually define a lever of the third class so that while the mechanical advantage of force is sacrificed, greater control over the lever mechanism is obtained so that slight changes in pressure will be immediately experienced by the user. Thus it will be seen that when disposed in this position, the upward thrust of the plunger 25 is accomplished by grasping the actuating handle and moving the same in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 to effect upward movement of the plunger.

The replacement of the primer in the shell casing comprises the second step of the loading operation and the third and final step after loading the powder charge of the shell case involves the seating of the projectile or bullet. This operation necessitates the use of a seating die which is mounted in the die holder threaded recess in the conventional well known manner and which includes the conventional bullet seating tamp. In this step the bullet or projectile would be inserted into the mouth of the case so that the bullet would be positioned therein without tilting. The shell casing would be mounted within the shell holder, the plunger being disclosed within its lowermost position. Thereafter, the actuating handle is moved to cause slight movement of the round in the upward thrust direction. It has been found that proper and accurate seating of the projectile within the shell casing can be accomplished during this operation by slow, deliberate strokes of the actuating handle. It is, therefore,

desirable to dispose the handle so that the user has optimum control over the handle to perceive the slight changes in pressure during the bullet seating process. Therefore, it is desirable to have the handle disposed in the second position, to wit, the position wherein the actuating handle 41 is disposed normal to the general longitudinal axis of the second link 38. This arrangement permits the bullet seating operation to be carried out by user with great accuracy so that the projectile or bullet is not too deeply moved within the shell casing but is sufiiciently seated to make full contact with the bullet seating head within the die. It is pointed out that during the bullet seating operation, along with the primer replacing operation, the mechanical advantage obtained through the toggle arrangement is sufificient to permit these processes to be readily carried out so that the sacrifice of the mechanical advantage of force from the repositioning of the handle to second position does not interfere with this operation.

It will, therefore, be seen from the above description that I have provided a novel ammunition reloading tool having a uniquely constructed interchangeable handle which is readily positionable into diiferent positions thus enabling the operator to reload shells of various types and kinds in a step by step procedure. It will further be seen that through the use of our novel shell reloading tool there is very little damage to the primer and great accuracy may be readily attained in the bullet seating process. It will further be seen that the handle may be readily repositioned to define, with the toggle linkage, a lever mechanism of the first class thus multiplying the mechanical advantage of force when it is desirable to resize the neck of a shell, remove the spent primer, and during a shell swaging operation.

It will, therefore, be seen that I have provided a novel shell loading tool which is not only of simple and inexpensive construction but which functions in a more efficient manner than any heretofore comparable devices.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shell-sizing and reloading tool having in combination a support including a horizontally disposed mounting plate, a plunger guide member afiixed to said mounting plate and having a vertically disposed guideway therein, a recessed die holder afiixed to said support and being disposed above said guide member for selectively and detachably securing thereto conventional reloading die structures, an elongate plunger slidably mounted in said guide member for reciprocating movement relative thereto in an upward thrust direction toward said die holder and a downward retraction direction away from said die holder, said plunger having a shell holding means on the upper terminal portion thereof for detachably holding a shell in upstanding relation thereon, a toggle linkage for reciprocating said plunger including a first link having one end thereof pivotally connected to the lower terminal portion of said plunger for pivotal movement relative thereto, a second elongate link pivotally connected intermediate its ends with said support and having one end pivotally connected to the other end of said first link, an elongate actuating handle having attachment means at one end thereof detachably connected to cooperating attachment means on the other end of said second link and projecting longitudinally therefrom whereby clockwise movement of said handle produces upward thrust of said plunger, and second cooperating attachment means on said second link intermediate the ends thereof to permit said handle when detached from said other end of said second link to be detachably connected to said second mentioned attachment means so that said actuating handle is disposed in substantially normal or depending relation with respect to said second link whereby clockwise movement of said handle produces upward thrust of said plunger.

2. Structures defined in claim 1, wherein said handle and said second link define a lever of the first class when said handle is connected by said first mentioned attachment means to said second link, and said handle and said second link define a lever of the third class when said handle is connected by said second mentioned attachment means to said second link.

3. In shell-sizing reloading tool having in combination a support including a horizontal mounting plate, a plunger guide member affixed to said mounting plate and having a vertically disclosed guideway therein, a recessed die holder affixed to said support being disposed above said guide member for selectively and detachably securing thereto conventional reloading die structures, an elongate plunger slidably mounted in said guide member for reciprocating movement relative thereto in an upward thrust direction toward said die holder and in a downward retractive direction away from said die holder, a plunger having shell holding means on the upper terminal portion thereof for detachably holding a shell in upstanding relation thereon, toggle linkage for reciprocating said plunger including a first link member having one end thereof pivotally connected to the lower terminal portion of said plunger for pivotal movement relative thereto, a second elongate link member pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said support and having one end pivotally connected to the end of said first link member, an elongate actuating handle member having attachment means at one end thereof connected to cooperating attachment means on the other end of said second link member and projecting longitudinally therefrom, whereby clockwise movement of said handle produces upward axial thrust of said plunger, one of said attachment means on said actuating handle and second link members comprising a threaded male element and the other of said attachment means comprising a threaded recess, and a second attachment means on said second link member intermediate the ends thereof and being substantially identical to said first mentioned attachment means on said second link member, said second attachment means serving to permit said handle when detached from said other end of said second link member to be detachably connected to said second link member intermediate its ends and depending substantially normal relative thereto whereby clockwise movement of said handle produces upward axial thrust of said plunger.

4. This structure as defined in claim 3, wherein said threaded male element is on said handle member.

5. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said second mentioned attachment means on said second link comprises a threaded recess located between the axis of pivot and the other end of said second link member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,865,244 Doyle Dec. 23, 1958 

1. IN A SHELL-SIZING AND RELOADING TOOL HAVING IN COMBINATION A SUPPORT INCLUDING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED MOUNTING PLATE, A PLUNGER GUIDE MEMBER AFFIXED TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND HAVING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED GUIDEWAY THEREIN, A RECESSED DIE HOLDER AFFIXED TO SAID SUPPORT AND BEING DISPOSED ABOVE SAID GUIDE MEMBER FOR SELECTIVELY AND DETACHABLY SECURING THERETO CONVENTIONAL RELOADING DIE STRUCTURES, AN ELONGATE PLUNGER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDE MEMBER FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO IN AN UPWARD THRUST DIRECTION TOWARD SAID DIE HOLDER AND A DOWNWARD RETRACTION DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID DIE HOLDER, SAID PLUNGER HAVING A SHELL HOLDING MEANS ON THE UPPER TERMINAL PORTION THEREOF FOR DETACHABLY HOLDING A SHELL IN UPSTANDING RELATION THEREON, A TOGGLE LINKAGE FOR RECIPROCATING SAID PLUNGER INCLUDING A FIRST LINK HAVING ONE END THEREOF PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID PLUNGER FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, A SECOND ELONGATE LINK PIVOTALLY CONNECTED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS WITH SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST LINK, AN ELONGATE ACTUATING HANDLE HAVING ATTACHMENT MEANS AT ONE END THEREOF DETACHABLY CONNECTED TO COOPERATING ATTACHMENT MEANS ON THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND LINK AND PROJECTING LONGITUDINALLY THEREFROM WHEREBY CLOCKWISE MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE PRODUCES UPWARD THRUST OF SAID PLUNGER, AND SECOND COOPERATING ATTACHMENT MEANS ON SAID SECOND LINK INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF TO PERMIT SAID HANDLE WHEN DETACHED FROM SAID OTHER END OF SAID SECOND LINK TO BE DETACHABLY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND MENTIONED ATTACHMENT MEANS SO THAT SAID ACTUATING HANDLE IS DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL OR DEPENDING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID SECOND LINK WHEREBY CLOCKWISE MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE PRODUCES UPWARD THRUST OF SAID PLUNGER. 